James Cameron’sTitanicis packed with memorable scenes, and one improvised moment led to one of Rose’s (Kate Winslet) most iconic moments, which was also unscripted. James Cameron is a name mostly associated with the sci-fi genre, but one of his biggest and most popular projects was a disaster drama movie based on a real-life tragedy:Titanic. Cameron’s legendary attention to detail was very present throughoutthe making ofTitanic, but he still allowed some improvised moments, which ultimately made the movie even better.
Titanicintroduces viewers to Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio), who wins a ticket to board the Titanic in a very lucky game of poker. On board the ship, Jack meets Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), a first-class passenger engaged to wealthy Cal Hockley (Billy Zane). Despite their different backgrounds and social status, Jack and Rose fall in love, and do what they can to survivethe sinking of the Titanic.Titanichas some very dramatic and tragic moments but also some lighthearted scenes, and among them is one that was improvised and made way for another improvised but iconic moment.
Rose & Jack “Spitting Lesson” Scene In Titanic Was Improvised
There’s A Reason Why The “Spitting Lesson” Scene Looks So Organic
Rose and Jack meet when the latter saves the former from jumping off the ship’s stern. As a way of thanking him, Cal invites Jack to have dinner with them on the first-class side of the ship, but Rose and Jack meet before dinner. Jack shows her his drawings and shares bits of his life and backstory with her, making Rose realize she needs freedom to be herself and do what she truly wants. Rose imagines if they went to the Santa Monica pier, and Jack starts joking with her about what they would do.
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Jack says he will teach her how to ride a horse like a man, to which Rose mentions also learning how to spit like a man, and Jack takes it seriously.Jack takes Rose to another part of the ship and teaches her how to “spit like a man”before being interrupted by Rose’s mother Ruth (Frances Fisher) and Molly Brown (Kathy Bates). According toGQ India,this scene was completely improvised, which highlights the unique chemistry between Winslet and DiCaprio.
The scene is key to the early stages of Rose and Jack’s story as, even though it is a somewhat gross scene, it’s a bonding moment between them. Rose is opening up and letting loose after being oppressed and told what to do all the time, and she’s starting to feel comfortable with Jack. What makes this scene more memorable is that it ended up creating another unscripted moment, in which Rose put those lessons to good use.
Kate Winslet Improvised Spitting To Cal In Titanic’s Third Act
Rose Was Supposed To Defend Herself In A Different Way
Rose eventually decides she will stay with Jack and run away with him as soon as they get to New York, but the sinking of the ship completely ends their plans. While the passengers struggle to get to the lifeboats, Ruth and Cal try to get Rose to board while Jack is kept captive in another part of the ship.Rose tries to escape but Cal grabs her, and to set herself free, she spits on Cal’s eye, very much like Jack taught her. As revealed byGQ India, this moment was also improvised by Winslet.
The script ofTitanicsays that Rose “pulls out a hairpin and jabs him with it”, after which he lets out a curse word and she runs away. Instead, Winslet chose to spit on Cal’s face, showing that Rose found a use to those spitting lessons with Jack. Of course, this took Zane by surprise, but the scene was kept.Titanicdoesn’t have many improvised moments, but those that made it to the final cut became iconic.
Titanic
Cast
Titanic is the 1997 blockbuster romantic/disaster epic based on the events surrounding the sinking of the legendary “unsinkable” vessel. Flashing back to the past and forward to the present, the film primarily follows the stories of the well-to-do and somewhat timid Rose and the poor but lively Jack, star-crossed lovers who meet aboard the doomed ship. In addition, the film tells true and fictionalized accounts of the passengers of the RMS Titanic, with an older Rose recounting her tale to the crew of a research ship.
